Trigger-controller.



R, A.'MOORE. TRIGGER CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATNT FFICE.

ROBERT A. MOORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO THE MOORE TRIGGER CONTROLLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRIGGER-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Application filed November 22, 1909. Serial No. 529,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. Moonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Trigger-Controllers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire arms, and has particular reference to anovel device adapted to control the operation of the trigger of the firearm to which it is applied, rendering it an impossibility for the gun tobe fired when held at any elevation other than that for which the deviceis set. By equipping the fire arm with a device of this character, andadjusting the same in accordance with the range at which it is to befired, whether applied to a small arm or to heavy ordnance, the rangehaving been estimated or determined by an ofiicer in command or by anyapproved means, the effectiveness of the firing operation will beenhanced to a very great extent for the reasons above stated. 1

For a full understanding of the invention, including its constructionand characteristic advantages, reference is to be had to the followingdetail description, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

igure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a gun lock,showing certain parts of the controller in side elevation, the viewbeing taken substantially on the line 11 of Fig. 4; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the controller applied in the same position as indicated inFig. 1, the view being taken at right angles to that of Fig. 4; Fig. 3is a view similar to the first two figures, but showing an outside viewof the gun stock; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the controller, thesupporting means therefor being in section; Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticview of the principal parts of the controller in their relativepositions when the trigger is inoperative, and Fig. 6 is a transversesectional detail. 7

Throughout the following description and on the several figures of thedrawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

At 10 is indicated a conventional form of fire arm trigger adapted to bedrawn rearwardly to fire the gun. Said trigger is surrounded as usual bya trigger guard 11.

The controller constituting the subjectmatter of this inventioncomprises a false trigger or dog 12 mounted at any suitable point withrespect to the trigger and under certain conditions is movable to permitmovement of the trigger and under other conditions it is prevented frommovement and thus preventing the pulling of the trigger. The said dog orfalse trigger is illustrated in this instance as being a member pivotedat 13 between two stationary plates or frames 14 secured to or withinthe trigger plate 15. The dog includes a rearwardly extending finger 16and a toe 17 extending downwardly substantially into contact with therear edge of the trigger. It is to be understood however that I do notwish to be limited to the exact form or location of said dog. The formindicatedconstitutes in effect a bell crank, the backward movement ofthe toe 17 tending to cause the elevation of the finger 16. When thepivotal movement of the dog on the axis 13 is unobstructed the trigger10 may be pulled in the usual manner.

J ournaled in the plates 14: and spanning the space between them is ashaft 18. Connected to one end of said shaft in any suitable manner is agear segment 19, whereby the said shaft may be adjusted or heldstationary after being adjusted. The means indicated for operating saidsegment comprises a pinion 20 mounted upon an arbor 21 journaled in therear portion of the plates 1 1. Said arbor 21 also carries a circularthumb or finger-piece 22,. a small portion of which projects downwardlybelow the gun stock so as to be manipulated for the purpose ofadjustment of the controller. Said finger-piece 22 constitutes agraduated indicator having a normal or zero point from which on oppositesides extend a series of graduations indicated in any suitable manner asby numerals. The zero mark may indicate a normal level at which the gunmay be fired and the other characters would then indicate a certainelevation or depression, respectively. It is to be understood that theadjusting mechanism just described will be so constructed as to normallyremain in stationary position, subject to intentional adjustment, andhence the shaft 18 may be regarded as a stationary support for the partscarried thereby and hereinafter described. A block or abutment 23 islocated between the side plates 14 and is fixed to the shaft 18 by anysuitable means, such as a set screw 24, and said abutment is shown asbeing provided on its front and rear edges with vertical grooves 23 andon its bottom midway of said edges with a notch 23 I11 order to make thedevice compact and thus occupy a minimum amount of space within the gun,an important factor in this art, the notch 23" may extend within thecircumference of the shaft 18 as indicated in Fig. l. A yoke or plunger25 rests normally upon the upper edge of the dog finger l6 and isprovided with parallel legs 25, which slide vertically in the aforesaidgrooves 23 when the dog is turned on its pivot by operation of thetrigger. The upward movement of said plunger 25 is resiliently resistedby any suitable mechanism, such as a light leaf spring 26, shown as heldin place upon the abutment by the set screw 24, the ends of the springoverlapping the upper ends of the lugs 25. A gravity roller shown as aball 27 is adapted to roll freely between said legs 25 of the plungerand upon the bottom of said plunger, and the surface of the plunger onwhich the ball rolls is slightly concave. The vertical space betweensaid plunger bottom and the lower surface of the abutment 23 issubstantially equal to the diameter of the ball or a trifle greater. henthe plunger bottom is horizontal the ball will occupy the pointindicated in Fig. 1 and in such position the trigger may be pulledfreely, the ball 27 being lifted by the plunger into the notch 23 Uponrelease of the trigger the parts of the controller will be restored totheir normal position by virtue of the spring 26. If the gun be elevatedor depressed as indicated in Fig. 5, the plunger bottom will not behorizontal and therefore the ball will roll toward one end thereof orthe other, and if an attempt be made to pull the trigger at such a timethe ball will strike against the bottom of the abutment and positivelyprevent the lifting of the plunger and movement of the dog.

In order to provide for the proper adjustment of the controller asalready described, the finger 16 is preferably formed on an arc of acircle drawn from the axis of the shaft 18 as a center. When thereforethe shaft 18 and the abutment connected thereto are rotated duringadjustment, the plunger will likewise be turned to the desired angle,but the operation thereof with respect to the dog finger will remainsubstantially the same. During such adjustment the bottom of the plungerslides along the arc-shaped surface of the finger 16. Upon turning theabutment around so that the plunger will occupy the position indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1 the controller will become inoperative,permitting free movement of the trigger as would be the case if thecontroller were not employed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a trigger, a trigger controller comprising anabutment having a notch, a plunger slidable toward and from theabutment, a gravity roller carried by the plunger between the plungerand the abutment, the roller in a certain predetermined position beingadapted to enter said notch and in other positions to impinge againstthe abutment, and means cooperating with the trigger and normallysupporting said notch, a plunger cooperating with said abutment, agravity roller carried upon the plunger between the plunger and theabutment,

and a bell crank one portion of which en.- gages with the trigger andthe other portion of which normally supports said plunger, whereby whenthe roller support is horizontal the roller will enter the notch butwhen the said support is other than horizontal the roller will impingeagainst the abutment, preventing operation of the trigger.

4:. In a trigger controller, the combination of an abutment having anotch, a plunger associated with said abutment and movable toward thesame under certain conditions, means to support and move said plunger,and gravity means carried upon the plunger and under certain otherconditions preventing movement thereof toward the abutment.

5. In a trigger controller, the combination of a frame, a shaftadjustably mounted in said frame, a plunger movable toward and from saidshaft, guiding means connected to the shaft for determining the positionof the plunger, means carried by the plunger to control the movementthereof with respect to the shaft, and means for determining theposition of said shaft comprising an indicator wheel and interposedgearing between the same and the shaft.

6. In a trigger controller, the combination of a frame, an adjustableshaft mounted in said frame, an abutment connected tothe shaft, aplunger movable toward the abutment and shaft, said abutment havingguiding grooves for the plunger and an intermediate notch, a gravityroller carried by the plunger between the plunger and the abutment andadapted to enter said notch when the roller supporting portion of theplunger is horizontal, means for cooperating with said plunger to movethe same toward the shaft and abutment under the conditions indicated,and means to rotate said shaft to vary the effective operative positionsof the plunger and roller.

7. In a trigger controller, the combination of an abutment, a plungermovable toward and from said abutment, a dog cooperating with theplunger, a gravity roller between the plunger and the abutment adaptedto resist movement of the plunger and operating means therefor undercertain conditions, and a spring tending normally to keep the plungerspaced from the abutment and in contact with the plunger operatingmeans.

8. In combination with a trigger, a trigger controller comprising a pairof spaced plates, an abutment between said plates, a plunger betweensaid plates movable toward and from the abutment, gravity means betweenthe plunger and the abutment adapted to resist said movement of theplunger under certain conditions, and a dog mounted between said plateshaving one portion thereof in contact with the plunger and anotherportion thereof in contact with the trigger.

9. In combination with a trigger, a trigger controller comprising a pairof spaced plates, a shaft journaled in said plates, an abutmentconnected to said shaft, a plunger cooperating with the abutment andmovable toward and from the same when in a certain predeterminedposition, a gravity roller carried by the plunger between the plungerand the abutment and serving to prevent movement of the plunger towardthe abutment in other positions, and a dog pivoted between said platesand having one portion thereof curved substantially on an arc of acircle from the center of said shaft and another portion cooperatingwith the trigger, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT A. MOORE.

Witnesses:

J. L. FRANZ, J AS. J. PIERCE.

